My biggest gripe is Scootaloo. In the beginning of the episode she runs a fan club for RD, later she switches to MDW just like that when she becomes popular. And when RD doesn't go with her to MDW's celebration, she just ditches RD. Hello?! I thought RD was like a big sister to her! If Scootaloo would have stuck with RD when she didn't want to go to the celebration, telling her how she still thinks she's a hero even if MDW is popular, that would have helped A LOT.
RuffyYoshi And maybe instead of betraying RD for MDW, maybe she didn't like the fact that her hero is becoming unpopular, and could've helped RD catch MDW in the end.
The inconsistency in technology in Ponyville kind of drives me nuts. They have modern-day construction equipment, but they still use quills + ink. Granted they do have pencils, but really?
I do believe Putting Your Hoof Down is nearly everyone's least favorite episode. It is AWFUL... At least we got Hurricane Fluttershy about three episodes later.
Because when you have a problem with your friend, talking to them is out of the question. Plotting to embarrass them, ruin their self esteem, and make them feel unappreciated is clearly the way to handle it. Dash is thick headed, but implying these were the lengths that had to be gone to in order to teach her a lesson is insulting.
Red Croco This episode needed more context to how much time is passing and the rest of main six having to do this as a last resort You can easily argue that they know her well enough to not even try that and just go straight for the kill but everybody’s a difference as an individual what works for Rainbow Dash is not going to work for say Bob
@@RhapsodyHC Yea, I don’t think she would have either, but they cut right ahead to this convoluted plan without trying to talk to her first. If they did, Rainbow can defend herself saying she’s done good things, which is true, then botch the balloon rescue due to her ego (as we saw). Another pony can do it right and then Dash complains about them stealing her spotlight or something. I don’t know, but I think that’s a much better direction that this episode could have gone.
How was Dash OOC in this episode? She was ALWAYS shown to have a big ego. I might have understood the hate if she just got hugely full of herself out of nowhere, she it was built up.
Feeling Pinky Keen has a great moral. It's basically to say that just because a person is smart doesn't mean that they know everything, and just because something they don't understand happens, doesn't mean that thing isn't real. It's a great moral, and it put Twilight in her place. I like it.
What honestly annoys me the most about this episode, is that rather than her friends talking to her about her being egotistical, their solution was to PUBLICLY HUMILIATE HER by SHOWING HER UP IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY AND MAKING HER FEEL USELESS
It's also stupid and annoying when a bunch of fools defend this terrible episode and call us stupid for hating it, even if it's for the right reasons we're not too blind to see or use that "It's a kids show" as an excuse for bad morals and teachings, as if they think kids are too stupid to not see something wrong with how her jealous friends are making her feel no longer needed or wanted, or that she is a danger to herself and others.
@ Oh please, that is the lamest excuse I ever heard of in not even TRYING the first time to talk to see if she would listen. I say they were just looking for an excuse to upstage and humiliate her out of jealousy more than concern, as if none of them ever bragged about anything in their whole lives. Hypocrite much? Was this any worse than Applejack keeping her friends in the dark about why she was not coming back to Ponyville for a while? Or that idiotic Yakety Sax where Pinkie Pie falls into a self absorbed, whiny, spoiled pity party just because she was told to stop disturbing the peace, and she used emotional manipulation to guilt tip her friends into admitting they were "wrong" for calling her out and she is in the right, which she was not.
@@millerkarageanes1562 Exactly this. She wouldn't. Also, she was never publicly humiliated. She was always embarrassing herself; Mare-Do-Well never humiliated her, they only stepped in to fix it after she hurt herself or someone else.
This comment is a little late, but what people don't seem to notice is that the only time Mare do Well steps in, other than the flyby is when Rainbow is about to let someone get injured or die. The point was never to humiliate Rainbow, it was to save her from her own ego. The only appearance of Mare do Well that made no sense was the flyby, which was just an attempt to shoehorn Fluttershy into the plan.
And even to this day, I hate this episode. Bottom tier for me. The reason? Because the other Mane 5 humiliate Dash to teach a lesson instead of having a conversation about it. It honestly would have been better if it really was a super-hero from out of town and the super-hero explains about humility after doing something that even Dash is impressed by.
The only thing I hated about this episode is that the episode is mean-spirited and that the moral is plain bullshit. They made fun of Rainbow Dash's performance and they did the same exact thing but worse because not only did they praise something they did, but chose to shove it completely down on Rainbow's throat. It is exactly the Trixie episode all over again. Why do the main characters have to be assholes and ruin everyone's confidence?
It's not about "ruining anyone's confidence" - they acted that way because Rainbow was forgetting what a real hero is supposed to do: saving ponies while not making a show out of it. To do that, they had to give Rainbow something of her own medicine. I think the only real fault of the episode is how they (or more accurately: Applejack) put the moral into words.
@@fermintenava5911 Oh please, as if the other Mane 6 never bragged about anything in their lives or were to proud to admit their own problems and kept everypony in the dark about it, and they like to pretend that Rainbow's flaws were no different? And when did Ponyville start becoming accident prone like that everyday? Such a stupid episode with a bias message about bragging like it's not ok to love yourself once in a while and treat it like it's the worse thing in history, or worse than Trixie. They were just jealous that everyone was paying more attention to Rainbow than them.
I mainly hate this episode, because they say Rainbow is in the wrong for bragging... And I have a problem with that, for 2 reasons. First being that only the Mane 6 were getting annoyed, everyone else still loved her. The second, is that Rainbow DID DO THOSE THINGS. She WAS a hero, and saved people's lives! Who cares if she was bragging? She got things done! To me, it was more of the Mane 6 getting their own idea of how a Hero should be, and FORCING that idea onto Rainbow Dash, and being shown that THEY were in the right. It's showing kids that if 4 friends think another friend is wrong for doing something, like say... Telling adults everytime they do something wrong, they have the right to force their own ideas and views onto that friend and force them to stop and change... That's bad...
+jirodyne like how my freinds think that cod is the best FPS ever. and ill be like "if its the only FPS ever bitch" then they tell me to get an XboXOnE or else i would have to go fuck myself and never come back ever again. I just dont get it, how am i suppose to fuck myself without pinkie pies legendary mirror from too many pinkie pies, its just downright impossible......................and now i cant sleep because my imagination just showed me heards of pinkie pies.....you know what HEBRA delete this comment WHAT YOU MEAN YOUR GONNA SPAM THIS EVERYWERE im sorry i had too much internet, i need to disconect for about a year to regain my sanity.
@jirodyne - I think you're reaching here. They weren't saying it was wrong to do good things, but you should do it because it's the right thing to do. And it's okay to be proud of that, but you don't want to start feeling entitled or arrogant because of it. Your last comparison also isn't remotely close to what's going on in this episode. A group of friends getting mad about a friend of theirs tattling on them for doing bad things are just bad friends and probably bad people. RD's friends had every right to be concerned about Dash because they didn't want her to become extremely arrogant. When power goes to people's heads, it can get them hurt and cause them to make poor decisions that can get other people hurt.
@@CreditR01 If they were in any way concerned, they would have TRIED talking to Dash instead of upstaging her to make everyone forget that she ever existed and is a danger to herself and others all because of one flaw that they act like they don't have themselves. So pathetic.
Yeah, you can add me to the small list of people that actually enjoyed the episode. It's not the best but I don't consider it bad by any means. I do think this is an under rated episode.
Charcoal1002 Wait, that episode still exists? I figured it had been bashed so much that Hasbro would've tried to replace it and say that tank had been found at a park and took a liking to RD.
Despite how bad this episode is, I really didn't have much of a problem with it when I first saw it, nor did I realize everyone else hated it so much. But it is interesting to know that you have a bad episode that you like, and a good episode that you hate. A guy like you can really make people think things thoroughly. Just because everyone likes it, that doesn't mean it's good, and just because everyone hates it, that doesn't mean it's bad.
How much do you wanna bet Merriweather not returning for Season 5 has something do with the initial reception she gained in this episode? For what it's worth, I get what she was attempting to do here. But this episode fell into roughly the same plot hole of "Breath of Fresh Squidward", by saying that RD isn't in the wrong for getting carried away with being a hero.
The thing I hate most about the episode is how the other ponies brag while teaching rainbow not to brag. I love rainbow she is my fave for her confidence and competitive ways. She's kinda like me but her friends know that rainbow is taking the saving people in ponyville the wrong way so instead of bragging to prove her wrong why didn't they just talk to her. This episode is painful to watch. The episode could've been way better. But tbh I don't absolutely hate it completely there are scenes that are funny and enjoyable. But even after watching the episode I don't hate rainbow dash. She is still my favorite character. I like her in all of the other episodes but in this one I really don't like anyone. I don't like any of the ponies in this episode. But I don't hate any either. This is my opinion in the story.
The things that bothered me about this episode: 1) Rainbow Dash is constantly angry that Mare Do Well SAVED LIVES. That pisses me off SO much. It's not like Mare Do Well is stopping robbers from snatching old ladies purses--she's saving ponies' lives! And RD is jealous and sees it as showing off! It just...really irks me. 2) Why are these stream of events suddenly happening in Ponyville? Does it happen every day? Even RD says, "There's always a baby carriage rolling down that hill!" when she's looking for somepony to save. Why is there no 24/7 hero? If RD and Mare Do Well hadn't been there, ponies would have died! 3) This is kind of based off of my last point: If RD hadn't acted like an asshole and made her friends dress up as Mare Do Well, ponies would have DIED. She wasn't strong enough to stop the out-of-control carriage, she wasn't fast enough to save everyone at the construction site--if her friends hadn't been there, there would be a bloodbath in Ponyville! I don't like coincidences like this, because once the coincidence is removed, everything falls apart!
My theory is that Applejack was the one who came up with the plan. Fluttershy and Twilight are too nice (though I doubt the Mane Six really intended for Rainbow to go insane), Applejack tends to get annoyed by Rainbow the most in other episodes (hey, maybe she was jealous of the attention she was getting here!), and I doubt Pinkie and Rarity are smart enough to come up with a plan like this.
MichaelSar12IsBack In Pinkie aNd Rarity’s case I think they’re too nice as well not that they’re too dumb none of the main six seem like they’re stupid
The episode could have saved itself in two ways: -5 Mare-Do-Well's show up at the parade, because the fame went to their head as well, forcing them to see it from Rainbow Dash's point of view. -Mare-Do-Well not showing up at all, forcing Rainbow Dash to figure out why for herself.
I really hate this episode because of the Mane Six being complete hypocrites and out-of-character. They were crushing Dash's spirit and ruining her good name just to "teach her a lesson". So, if they were teaching her a lesson, then WHY WERE THEY BRAGGING TO TEACH HER NOT TO BRAG?! If that isn't hypocrisy, I don't know what is. And Rainbow was getting to her breaking point and her so-called "friends" did absolutely nothing to help, in fact, they were breaking her soul down harder. If this wasn't a kids show, this episode would have pulled a Party of One and had poor Dashie going insane and attempting suicide because her soul is shattered, her good name is ruined, and nobody would care.
The friends didn't really brag as much as they did actually save ponies. While they were doing these things, they remained silent, remember? My main concern is the fact that in the time it takes to set up a party in someone's honor, they save enough lives to warrant Celestia labeling that town a catastrophe zone. I mean, seriously? If rainbow dash weren't there, at least 20 more ponies would've died.
1. yes, it is that bad. 2. it falls apart because Dash's friends, instead of TALKING to her, enact a plan to destroy her self-esteem.... to teach her not to be a spotlight hogging douchebag by.... becoming spotlight hogging douchebags themselves. And because Dash wasn't PISSED at her friends for humiliating and backstabbing her. Between this and Boast Busters, it's obvious the Mane Six have a bad case of Tall Poppy syndrome. 3. What was the writer thinking? Answer: she WASN'T.
I do'n dislike Dashie, and I actually like this episode. Dash isn't my favorite, but I don't dislike her. She's somewhere in the middle in my top 6 of the 6.
***** Yea, my favorites go something like, Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Dash, Pinkie and Fluttershy. I don't dislike any of them though, just like some better.
***** Yea, Tabitha St Germain's Voice Work is a big reason I like Rarity. She is an amazing VA. Simple Ways may not of been a great episode, but dang Tabitha's voice work made up for it, as did Ashleigh Ball's with Applejack.
Ugh. I couldn't stand this episode at all. It was a complete slap to the face for both Rainbow's character and the rest of the main six. Oh sure lets not try to confront and actually try to talk to Rainbow Dash about the problem and just teach her a lesson by completely humiliating her and making her feel like complete shit.... yeah that's a great idea! That'll show how much of a friend we are! :D
You said it bro! This is exactly how I think about this episode. Everypony just throw off their elements of harmony and stomp them to death by doing everything against them in one episode!
smashmaster521 Maybe not, but they could have at least tried and then pulled MDW off as a last resort when it became apparent that was the only way. Instead there is no indication they even tried to sit down and have a reasonable chat with RD about correcting her behavior.
Well, in Boast Busters every character had a bad write up by hating Trixie for no reason. Also Lesson Zero, Twilight was panicked and what did her friends do. Laugh. A lot of episodes break the "friendship is Magic" title, like may the best pet win or putting your hoof down and people seem to like those episodes.
I've now seen 6 TH-cam channels that analyze and review My Little Pony. Review this episode and not even touch the fact that the identity of mare do well In her first appearance, the hot air balloon rescue was left completely unidentified. The one in the suit clearly wasn't rainbow Because she was the one who needed to be taken down a peg according to the episode. And this is coming from somebody who is currently still rewatching the whole Siri's spoiler spoiler alert. Even by season five's finale, the only pony. Outside of the top 3 wonder bolts, captain spitfire commander Soarin and lieutenant Fleetfoot None of which was in this episode. Even as a background design. The only one who can match rainbow - in the agility required to be hopping rooftops... It's fluttershy And and that just brings up an even bigger point of if it's fluttershy in the suit for the initial rescue, the wine, and the bloody heck. Does she need to be hopper rooftops? In order to actually get the height required to save some pony from a hot air balloon?!
I personally love this episode. Only because I'm obsessed with RD and this is an RD centered episode. I also love angst, which I was (as horrible as it sounds..) I liked when Rainbow Dash was upset and was talking about how she hates being alone. The only thing I wish could've happened was that the Mare Do Well reveal happened quicker and that RD was NOT happy about it, which is more believable. I mean, I would flip the F out if my friends did that to me. She should've had a different reaction to it, since the one she really had at the end is NOT realistic.
ok, so applejack as mare-do-well, stopped the runaway bus, pinkie did the construction site rescue, twilight rapaired the dam, fluttershy did the fly by, so who rescued the balloonist when mare-do-well first appeared?
@@twinkiesmaster69 Ya know that would actually be Really F$%^&(($ HILARIOUS if that happened like the Mane 6 are casually walking when up on some random Hill Rainbow Dash sees Mare Do Well does a quick head count & MDW Disapprears by Running off in the other direction!!!
Slight nitpick. It is stated that Pinkie Pie, Apple Jack, and Twilight were Mare Do Well. But pinkie and apple are earth ponies, and Twilight is not a alicorn yet. If it was fluttershy, they should have said it, and even then having her fly faster the rainbow kinda shoots itself in the foot with episodes like Hurricane Fluttershy
"Why is this episode so hated?" Dash. I honestly hate this episode because of Dash. The is nothing in this episode that makes me like her. Also the background ponies are so bad in this, all they do is praise Dash and then Mare-Do-Well. (Also Scootaloo is very OOC)
***** What, the part in SCC where they brag about MDW? They're just demonstrating to Dash how annoying that constant praise and adulation can get. Or they were trying to keep themselves from being found out, but they really wanted Dash to realize how virtuous MDW is for being modest.
***** Given how cocksure RD is, you think she would have listened? Her personality isn't one you reason with easily. She ascribes little weight to rational dialogue, and much more weight to action and experience. No, talking would have made little consequence, she'd have dismissed her friends concerns. And how have they humiliated her?
***** Watch DRWolf's review of MMDW. He brings up the same concern that the Mane 5 could have simply talked to RD, but then he also brings up the events of Fall Weather Friends, where it takes RD coming in last place and getting beat by Twi in a foot race for her to learn her lesson. RD is the friend who needs to have things proven to her in action to persuade her. But to be honest with you, this wouldn't be an issue if the episode at least mentioned this concern, like FS asking if they should at least talk to Dash, and then AJ saying she wouldn't listen. You mean in the ending scene? I'm asking you for particular sequences. RD's actions are contemptible. Her showboating was getting really obnoxious to the point where she was harassing other ponies for attention, her pandering to her fans actually endangered the life of that hot balloon pilot who would have crashed had MDW not saved her, since RD spent too long signing autographs, and she tossed that baby she saved in the air for her mother to catch in her mouth. I don't see how you can defend the way RD acted in this episode.
I agree with you....I don't hate this episode. Unlike other Rainbow-centric episodes where she allows her arrogance to get the best of her (like Rainbow Falls where she wants to win so badly that she LIES to her team and takes the coward's way out because Twilight makes her choose between them and the Wonderbolts so she fakes an injury rather than remaining loyal (her element of harmony ironically) and having faith in her team, this one actually does a better job of tempering Rainbow's arrogance and teaching her that she can be a humble hero. I like Rainbow Dash as a character (she's #4 of the Mane Six on my list after Fluttershy, Rarity and Twilight)....she's brave and driven to success and loyal almost to a fault (and that kind of reminds me of me) but I do agree with the rest of the Mane 6....in this episode she was a bit TOO cocky and full of herself and she let being a hero go straight to her head and needed a good dose of humble pie and rather than taking it to an extreme like they did with Fluttershy in Putting Your Hoof Down where Fluttershy went from being a doormat to a psychotic monster, the girls came up with Mare Do Well to teach Rainbow a lesson in a positive way and it worked.
I don't think this is a bad episode, it's just my personal worst of the show. . Seeing someone humiliated in order to teach humility is aggravating to me and it happens in many shows. Self esteem episodes are why I became a brony, The Last Round Up, being the first episode I saw and one of my favorites. Seeing Rainbow Dash getting shut down, whether justified or not, seems wrong to me. I don't recall actually rewatching the episode.
RD has never in the past "saved people only for recognition". ugggg you guys hate a character after one bad episode witch they were out of character!!!! and omg boast busters! did any body catch trixi challenge them that she could do anything that they could do better!!!! sure they were still hurls but that's not the point here.
Incidentally, this was the first episode of MLP that I ever watched and what got me into the show in the first place. While this episode is far from being the best in the series, I don't hate it, either.
I actually liked Rainbow Dash more after seeing this episode because she gets character development and I felt like I could relate to her at some parts.
The reason I hate this episode so much, actually isn't because of the Rainbow Dash "flanderization". It's because of how EASILY some of the errors could be corrected, as you pointed out a few times. Ya, Rainbow was a little flanderized, but look at Rarity or Pinkie in some episodes. I think what got this on people's hate lists is just how the mane five solve the problem, with there being no sign whatsoever of a confrontation. There's a comic series with an alternate ending that, if those redundant scenes were tooken out, could completely fix the episode and even teach two lessons. This comment is too long. The end. (I concluded this comment beautifully.)
I once had a conversation with some guy who was going on and on about how the Mane Six "were the literal devil" and how Rainbow was supposedly "completely and totally in the right." So, I brought up Trixie. What did he say? I'm not joking when I say that he now was painting Trixie in this unblemished, utterly perfect light, and *he started blaming Rainbow Dash for the ursa attack!* Like, WTF? That was Snips and Snails! The pony he was so vehemently defending just a moment ago, he started blaming for something she was in no way at fault for.
the problem with the episode for everyone who doesn't like it is the same reason why you don't like "putting your hoof down": It kills the character. When I first watched through the show, I hated Rainbow Dash because of this episode. It wasn't until Wonderbolt Academy that I excepted the writer as the problem.
Kumquatodor I don't see a problem with putting your hoof down. I think it was well done. Fluttershy overcompensated her meek nature and unlike here her friends DID try to talk to her.
Revkor The problem is that no one gets blaimed for their action, and this whole thing is said to be Iron Will's fault. Fluttershy got no blame, really. She got off scott-free. The town was uncharacteristically jerkish. And are you telling me that Fluttershy, renowned for her compassion, would be able to ignore it so easily?
To me Fluttershy had a Nightmare Moon moment here and notice when she did realize what she did she locked herself up for days with only angel as a companion. if that's not punishment then what is.
Okay I was watching this ep...and I just noticed something. When they held the thank-you parade, how did the mayor get Mare-Do-Well to show up? Beyond the other mane 5 behind Mare-Do-Well and clearly knowing about the parade. Was she so sure that whoever the hero was would know about it, or did she just pray to whatever god ponies pray to that she showed up?
Uh...I still see the other Five's Motivations being Petty Jealousy. Granted - I am one who understands that humility is important - as I have dealt with someone who needs a lesson in it. But does that mean that someone shouldn't take pride in the work or good deeds they've done? No. In my mind, being proud of your accomplishments and enjoying the fame they get you isn't wrong, as long as you don't use it to make someone else feel like they are inferior to you. It's like you said - there were no clear transitions that time had passed between each of Rainbow Dash's heroic feats, so I simply assumed that they subsequently one after another over the span of just a few days. Which would of course explain why the Press would be fawning over her. You see the crowds of fans were still around her, because the events happened recently enough that the people still wanted a piece of her. So naturally - Rainbow Dash did boast her accomplishments to them, but that was to be expected. She HAS to play to the audience like that, to keep her popularity up. Now her "friends" get annoyed by this...but frankly they shouldn't. It seems like they've gotten tired of her "being arrogant" despite the fact that the episode shows us that she JUST saved a group of people barely a few minutes ago. Did Rainbow Dash personally wrong the others? No - not really. Was her enjoying her 15 Minutes harming anyone? No. So - I see it just as them just being jealous and annoyed with her being in the spotlight and wanting to take her down a peg. But instead of making a heart-felt confrontation with her, they...basically take away what she thought made her special. Or at least that's what they tried to do, and they succeeded in a way. I think what they were going for is that, anypony can be a hero in this universe and you shouldn't let it go to your head...BUT, lets think a little logically. By revealing that Mare-Do-Well was actually Pinkie, AJ, Twilight, and Fluttershy...that...basically means that all four of them are needed to do what Rainbow Dash can do by herself. If anything, that should've boosted her confidence. But one cliche that I hate, is how quickly any group of people is to just forget how much they love someone and turn against them when a new fad arises. But, as much as I hate it...it could've worked for a better story. Let's say Rainbow Dash was more arrogant that was shown, that she was so surrounded by fans who adore her, that she started acting like a Celebrity. This of course, would cause her to most likely ditch her friends in favor of her fans. Then when the "Rainbow Dash" fad comes to an end, and Rainbow still wants the attention, she finds that all her fans no longer adore her, and she realizes that she shouldn't let fame change her, or make her forget who her true friends are. But the idea of your peer group deciding to teach you a lesson just to make sure you don't feel good about what you've done for your community...it's rather insulting.
6:00 I think when the other five were praising Mare-Do-Well the idea was they wanted to show Rainbow Dash how she made them feel when she was bragging about how great she was.
6:12 Doesn't this completely go against 'Lesson Zero'?! And no one can use the 'It aired after' excuse, because- A- Episodes are written and planned out before the others are released, i.e- while the season premier would be airing, they'd be working on, if not finished, with the finale. B- It didn't, since lesson zero was the third episode, while MMDW was the eighth.
I honestly don't hate this episode either, like everyone else does. I know it has some characterization flaws and the storyline is kind of weak and...cliche, but I don't think that's a reason to despise the episode. I would have hated it if RD had let Mare Do Well's success get to her and just gave up trying to help anyone at all (like then newer Season 4 episode with Daring Do). But I totally agree with the problem of the not showing how long Rainbow's boasting attitude has been going on. That would have made a lot of difference.
At the time of it's release, this episode was my favorite (mostly because I'm a huge comic book superhero fan) and I still find myself going back to it. Admittedly not as often as others, but that's mostly just because it didn't have a song and my personal quest is to memorize each major song to the point that I can just start singing any of them at the drop of a hat.
This episode pissed me off to no end. There's a right way and a wrong way to do hypocrisy. This made me want to watch the rest of the mane 5 die in a swamp
I think when everyone was bragging about Mare-do-Well's feats of heroism, I believe they were doing it explicitly in Rainbow Dash's presence because they KNEW it would get her mad, sort of giving her a taste of her own medicine.
My theory is that they were doing it to not make Rainbow suspicious, because of the whole town was singing Mare Do Well's praise and her friends didn't even mention it, even Rainbow would be smart enough to know something was up
I think the reason it's so hated is because it's just unpleasant an tedious to watch. The other issues are something that most agree on but when you can't enjoy even watching it before you reach the end or start to consider morals and characters and all that makes it universally disliked and hated by so many.
Once Upon a Time, there was an episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic called "The Mysterious Mare-Do Well" that aired during the show's second season. After it's premiere, for almost 6-7 years, it has been hated on and was called or still called to some, one of, if not the worst episode of the show in the 169 episodes the show has made through it's 7 year lifespan and very few liked it. So, where do I stand on this episode? Well, I will agree with many that this episode isn't good and sucks, with most my reasoning being the same as MrEnter's in this review. But strangely enough....I kinda like the episode. I guess it's so far my 2nd guilty pleasure in the show, with the other being "Feeling Pinkie Keen", mostly because of the superhero-like plot with Mare-Do-Well becoming like the town hero. I'm a sucker for this type of stuff and have loved it for my entire life if you couldn't tell from my YT name or profile pic. I'm sucker for that type of stuff, plus the reference to Batman: The Animated Series and some small moments I really enjoyed. I will agree that this episode isn't good, but it isn't the worst the show has done. Both from the show and other media, I have seen MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, worse. So, what do I give this episode? I'm gonna fail this episode, but I'll give it a Silver just for the stuff that I like. 1 Out of 5 Stars Silver So Far: 30/130
wow, you actually don't think this episode is as bad as almost everyone else says. I think I agree with your opinions, but I find this episode a guilty pleasure for a different reason. This was the very first episode I ever fully watched of this show and (surprisingly enough) is the one that got me more interested in the series. I look back on it and realize that its pretty bad but I still enjoy it in more of a sense of nostalgia than an actual good episode.
Wow first person to review it and not hate it. I have to say I agree with most of what you say here. The episode was really really flawed, but it still managed to be entertaining, so it can't of been the worst thing ever, and as you mentioned the flaws it did have had been done before. All I can say is it's really refreshing to see a not entirely negative review on this. Good job dude, you've gained my respect.
I think they didn't have enough time for the premise. Their plan could've still happened along with everything, but they could've then used that to show a moral about communication on top of the original moral. Take The Manehattenverse route. Outcast Rainbow Dash like they did with Trixie and make them realize that everything would've been solved by communication or by other methods. Then let them fix it. I'm using Manehattenverse because it got it right.
You know what you are - a flip flop - you pan some episodes for silly or miss-interpretive reasons and yet with some like this one, Feeling Pinkie keen and Over a barrel, you review it in such a logical and fair way that you seem like the saint of all MLP reviewers, and that's why you're awesome!
Mare Do Well is my second least favourite episode of this series (behind Feeling Pinkie Keen), but I actually disagree about the construction scene being redundant. When Pinkie reveals herself as an actor for Mare Do Well she explains that she helped the construction ponies with her pinkie sense, so this scene is there to demonstrate Pinkie's involvement with mare do well, as the cliff scene was for applejack and the dam scene was for Twilight.
Ripped NtrippsMoe what do you mean, boring and " so bad it's good"? boring is something that cannot be enjoyed nor despised because nothing of substance is occurring (like watching paint dry) so bad it's good implies that the thing you're watching is fun to watch because of how ridiculous it is (think "the room" , "batman '66", and "power rangers") they clearly have opposite meanings, I'm neither in agreement nor disagreement, I just want clarification
Back when I watched this show, I did kind of take issue that most of the episodes that centered on my favourite character at the time (Dash) made her unlikable. I guess the point was that characters don't learn a lesson unless they were doing something wrong to begin with but, it did irk me a bit. It was like the show was trying to make me dislike her.
FiM is about friendship yet Rainbow's closest friends don't even try and confront her about her bragging and instead decided to show her up and make her look like an asshole as Mare-Do-Well. That's why I hate the episode, it goes against the purpose of the entire show, being a good friend and actually talking to your buddy about an issue you may have with him/her.
I'm not sure what your issue is with the transitions in this show. Yeah, there's not a lot to them, but kids are smart enough to realize that "every other day since" means that some vague week-or-two-ish time has passed. The fact that there's detail included at all, and that there's enough to loosely interpret rather than a set-in-stone span is actually a pretty nice thing, to me.
This was one of the very first episodes of MLP I watched. This episode made me hate Rainbow Dash. I didn't have any respect for Rainbow Dash until The Wonderbolt Academy came out.
I'm honestly tempted to agree with Mr. Enter here. MMDW isn't a good episode at all, but it's not the worst ever. But then this show is - and was especially at the time - susceptible to the bandwagon effect: When the taste-makers (in this case /mlp/ and the brony critics) panned it, everyone else just went along, never thinking for themselves. Maybe my lack of vitriol for this episode is simply because Rainbow Dash has never been a top-tier pony in my book. Sure, I get why people like her, and I don't _hate_ her, but her personality is the polar opposite of mine, so I usually find her irritating as shit. As a result, her episodes rarely hit with me. For what it's worth, RD herself wasn't a problem in MMDW; everypony else was the problem. All in all, I feel sorry for Merriweather. She's not a bad writer; in fact, on pretty much every other show she's ever done, she's a great writer. But, she turned out to be a poor fit for MLP. And that's just a shame. Even though she has probably the worst shit-to-hit ratio of any writer on this show, she really doesn't deserve the vitriol fans like to throw at her. After all, everyone except me liked "Hearth's-Warming Eve", and I don't know anyone who didn't like "Wonderbolt Academy". I also liked "Bats!". Some episodes I like _less_ than MMDW: "Owl's Well that Ends Well", "Baby Cakes", "Putting Your Hoof Down", "It's About Time", "Spike At Your Service", "Games Ponies Play", "Trade Ya", and "Rainbow Falls" (which I consider the worst episode of the entire series).
This is probably my biggest guilty pleasure. Yes, the story is bad. Yes, the lesson is contradictory to the episode. Maybe it's because of lowered expectations, but I wasn't overly offended by it. I was still entertained by some of the action scenes (even if they were unnecessary), and there were some pretty funny moments. All in all, despite its shortcomings, I enjoyed it. Now Boast Busters on the other hand...
Enter: "Just like a fruit stand must always be knocked over..."
Me: "MY CABBAGES!!!!" (Yes, I know that cabbages aren't fruit.)
+Hank Hill Edgy.
How did I even get here?
+Hank Hill Dank magic
Hank Hill that's youtube for you
Oh forget it!
My biggest gripe is Scootaloo. In the beginning of the episode she runs a fan club for RD, later she switches to MDW just like that when she becomes popular. And when RD doesn't go with her to MDW's celebration, she just ditches RD. Hello?! I thought RD was like a big sister to her! If Scootaloo would have stuck with RD when she didn't want to go to the celebration, telling her how she still thinks she's a hero even if MDW is popular, that would have helped A LOT.
My best bet is that chronologically, this takes place before Sleepless In Ponyville.
RuffyYoshi And maybe instead of betraying RD for MDW, maybe she didn't like the fact that her hero is becoming unpopular, and could've helped RD catch MDW in the end.
@@31Darkstar
It’s not a betrayal. You can be a fan of 2 different people.
The inconsistency in technology in Ponyville kind of drives me nuts. They have modern-day construction equipment, but they still use quills + ink. Granted they do have pencils, but really?
They can sometimes look cool, and you only need to buy ink pots
"This Rainbow Dash deserves to be hugged"
That was a cute line x3
While I don't like this episode, I don't hate it.
Honestly, my worst episode has got to be Putting Your Hoof Down.
That's exactly what Mr. Enter said.
pokedragonS8 I didn't come back to the series until a few months back because of Putting your hoof down
I do believe Putting Your Hoof Down is nearly everyone's least favorite episode. It is AWFUL...
At least we got Hurricane Fluttershy about three episodes later.
As much as that episode sucks I hate “Dragon Dropped” more.
@@agavesrealm I actually like it quite a lot
Because when you have a problem with your friend, talking to them is out of the question. Plotting to embarrass them, ruin their self esteem, and make them feel unappreciated is clearly the way to handle it. Dash is thick headed, but implying these were the lengths that had to be gone to in order to teach her a lesson is insulting.
Red Croco This episode needed more context to how much time is passing and the rest of main six having to do this as a last resort You can easily argue that they know her well enough to not even try that and just go straight for the kill but everybody’s a difference as an individual what works for Rainbow Dash is not going to work for say Bob
To be fair, even if they DID try to talk to Rainbow Dash, she probably wouldn't have listened to them
Amedot Universe They didn’t try at all though
@@pillowcasecorner7519 They did in 28 Pranks Later and she didn’t listen to them. Though I think that episode is worse than Mare Do Well.
@@RhapsodyHC Yea, I don’t think she would have either, but they cut right ahead to this convoluted plan without trying to talk to her first. If they did, Rainbow can defend herself saying she’s done good things, which is true, then botch the balloon rescue due to her ego (as we saw). Another pony can do it right and then Dash complains about them stealing her spotlight or something. I don’t know, but I think that’s a much better direction that this episode could have gone.
How was Dash OOC in this episode? She was ALWAYS shown to have a big ego. I might have understood the hate if she just got hugely full of herself out of nowhere, she it was built up.
Feeling Pinky Keen has a great moral. It's basically to say that just because a person is smart doesn't mean that they know everything, and just because something they don't understand happens, doesn't mean that thing isn't real. It's a great moral, and it put Twilight in her place. I like it.
What honestly annoys me the most about this episode, is that rather than her friends talking to her about her being egotistical, their solution was to PUBLICLY HUMILIATE HER by SHOWING HER UP IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY AND MAKING HER FEEL USELESS
It's also stupid and annoying when a bunch of fools defend this terrible episode and call us stupid for hating it, even if it's for the right reasons we're not too blind to see or use that "It's a kids show" as an excuse for bad morals and teachings, as if they think kids are too stupid to not see something wrong with how her jealous friends are making her feel no longer needed or wanted, or that she is a danger to herself and others.
@@Disneyfan82 Also kids can realize when a show has to be dark when it has to be lighthearted
@ Oh please, that is the lamest excuse I ever heard of in not even TRYING the first time to talk to see if she would listen. I say they were just looking for an excuse to upstage and humiliate her out of jealousy more than concern, as if none of them ever bragged about anything in their whole lives. Hypocrite much? Was this any worse than Applejack keeping her friends in the dark about why she was not coming back to Ponyville for a while? Or that idiotic Yakety Sax where Pinkie Pie falls into a self absorbed, whiny, spoiled pity party just because she was told to stop disturbing the peace, and she used emotional manipulation to guilt tip her friends into admitting they were "wrong" for calling her out and she is in the right, which she was not.
But would dash have listened if they talked to her
@@millerkarageanes1562 Exactly this. She wouldn't. Also, she was never publicly humiliated. She was always embarrassing herself; Mare-Do-Well never humiliated her, they only stepped in to fix it after she hurt herself or someone else.
This comment is a little late, but what people don't seem to notice is that the only time Mare do Well steps in, other than the flyby is when Rainbow is about to let someone get injured or die. The point was never to humiliate Rainbow, it was to save her from her own ego. The only appearance of Mare do Well that made no sense was the flyby, which was just an attempt to shoehorn Fluttershy into the plan.
you forgot to mension the fact that her friends were complementing themselves not eachother therefore making there lesson to her...pointless!!!!
And even to this day, I hate this episode. Bottom tier for me. The reason? Because the other Mane 5 humiliate Dash to teach a lesson instead of having a conversation about it. It honestly would have been better if it really was a super-hero from out of town and the super-hero explains about humility after doing something that even Dash is impressed by.
The only thing I hated about this episode is that the episode is mean-spirited and that the moral is plain bullshit. They made fun of Rainbow Dash's performance and they did the same exact thing but worse because not only did they praise something they did, but chose to shove it completely down on Rainbow's throat. It is exactly the Trixie episode all over again. Why do the main characters have to be assholes and ruin everyone's confidence?
i agree
It's not about "ruining anyone's confidence" - they acted that way because Rainbow was forgetting what a real hero is supposed to do: saving ponies while not making a show out of it. To do that, they had to give Rainbow something of her own medicine.
I think the only real fault of the episode is how they (or more accurately: Applejack) put the moral into words.
@@fermintenava5911 Oh please, as if the other Mane 6 never bragged about anything in their lives or were to proud to admit their own problems and kept everypony in the dark about it, and they like to pretend that Rainbow's flaws were no different? And when did Ponyville start becoming accident prone like that everyday? Such a stupid episode with a bias message about bragging like it's not ok to love yourself once in a while and treat it like it's the worse thing in history, or worse than Trixie. They were just jealous that everyone was paying more attention to Rainbow than them.
I mainly hate this episode, because they say Rainbow is in the wrong for bragging... And I have a problem with that, for 2 reasons. First being that only the Mane 6 were getting annoyed, everyone else still loved her. The second, is that Rainbow DID DO THOSE THINGS. She WAS a hero, and saved people's lives! Who cares if she was bragging? She got things done!
To me, it was more of the Mane 6 getting their own idea of how a Hero should be, and FORCING that idea onto Rainbow Dash, and being shown that THEY were in the right. It's showing kids that if 4 friends think another friend is wrong for doing something, like say... Telling adults everytime they do something wrong, they have the right to force their own ideas and views onto that friend and force them to stop and change... That's bad...
+jirodyne like how my freinds think that cod is the best FPS ever. and ill be like "if its the only FPS ever bitch" then they tell me to get an XboXOnE or else i would have to go fuck myself and never come back ever again. I just dont get it, how am i suppose to fuck myself without pinkie pies legendary mirror from too many pinkie pies, its just downright impossible......................and now i cant sleep because my imagination just showed me heards of pinkie pies.....you know what HEBRA delete this comment
WHAT YOU MEAN YOUR GONNA SPAM THIS EVERYWERE
im sorry i had too much internet, i need to disconect for about a year to regain my sanity.
@jirodyne - I think you're reaching here. They weren't saying it was wrong to do good things, but you should do it because it's the right thing to do. And it's okay to be proud of that, but you don't want to start feeling entitled or arrogant because of it.
Your last comparison also isn't remotely close to what's going on in this episode. A group of friends getting mad about a friend of theirs tattling on them for doing bad things are just bad friends and probably bad people. RD's friends had every right to be concerned about Dash because they didn't want her to become extremely arrogant. When power goes to people's heads, it can get them hurt and cause them to make poor decisions that can get other people hurt.
@@CreditR01 If they were in any way concerned, they would have TRIED talking to Dash instead of upstaging her to make everyone forget that she ever existed and is a danger to herself and others all because of one flaw that they act like they don't have themselves. So pathetic.
Finally someone else who likes this episode.
I'm with you on that! In my opinion, I think this episode is OVERHATED!!
Yeah, you can add me to the small list of people that actually enjoyed the episode. It's not the best but I don't consider it bad by any means. I do think this is an under rated episode.
I like the episode too. But it's not an episode I revisit often.
I mean, it's better than May The Best Pet Win.
Charcoal1002 Wait, that episode still exists? I figured it had been bashed so much that Hasbro would've tried to replace it and say that tank had been found at a park and took a liking to RD.
on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 the worst episodes of mlp 10 the best) i would give this a 5 making it IMO slightly below average.
Despite how bad this episode is, I really didn't have much of a problem with it when I first saw it, nor did I realize everyone else hated it so much.
But it is interesting to know that you have a bad episode that you like, and a good episode that you hate. A guy like you can really make people think things thoroughly. Just because everyone likes it, that doesn't mean it's good, and just because everyone hates it, that doesn't mean it's bad.
How much do you wanna bet Merriweather not returning for Season 5 has something do with the initial reception she gained in this episode?
For what it's worth, I get what she was attempting to do here. But this episode fell into roughly the same plot hole of "Breath of Fresh Squidward", by saying that RD isn't in the wrong for getting carried away with being a hero.
I bet 10 quid.
2 xbox games, 3 ps2 games, and 5 quid
+JCBro2014 i bet nothing because nothing is all i have.
without it i have waffles.
i need sleep
YOU'RE A KID! YOU'RE A QUID!
The thing I hate most about the episode is how the other ponies brag while teaching rainbow not to brag. I love rainbow she is my fave for her confidence and competitive ways. She's kinda like me but her friends know that rainbow is taking the saving people in ponyville the wrong way so instead of bragging to prove her wrong why didn't they just talk to her. This episode is painful to watch. The episode could've been way better. But tbh I don't absolutely hate it completely there are scenes that are funny and enjoyable. But even after watching the episode I don't hate rainbow dash. She is still my favorite character. I like her in all of the other episodes but in this one I really don't like anyone. I don't like any of the ponies in this episode. But I don't hate any either. This is my opinion in the story.
The things that bothered me about this episode:
1) Rainbow Dash is constantly angry that Mare Do Well SAVED LIVES. That pisses me off SO much. It's not like Mare Do Well is stopping robbers from snatching old ladies purses--she's saving ponies' lives! And RD is jealous and sees it as showing off! It just...really irks me.
2) Why are these stream of events suddenly happening in Ponyville? Does it happen every day? Even RD says, "There's always a baby carriage rolling down that hill!" when she's looking for somepony to save. Why is there no 24/7 hero? If RD and Mare Do Well hadn't been there, ponies would have died!
3) This is kind of based off of my last point: If RD hadn't acted like an asshole and made her friends dress up as Mare Do Well, ponies would have DIED. She wasn't strong enough to stop the out-of-control carriage, she wasn't fast enough to save everyone at the construction site--if her friends hadn't been there, there would be a bloodbath in Ponyville! I don't like coincidences like this, because once the coincidence is removed, everything falls apart!
My theory is that Applejack was the one who came up with the plan. Fluttershy and Twilight are too nice (though I doubt the Mane Six really intended for Rainbow to go insane), Applejack tends to get annoyed by Rainbow the most in other episodes (hey, maybe she was jealous of the attention she was getting here!), and I doubt Pinkie and Rarity are smart enough to come up with a plan like this.
+MichaelSar12IsBack I don´t know if Twilight is too nice, but Pinkie definatly is.
+MichaelSar12IsBack Tbh, I think both Twilight and Applejack get annoyed by Rainbows ego, especially Twilight in later episodes.
+MichaelSar12IsBack Rarity is smart in her episodes and Pinkie is 10 times worst than this in Filli Vanilli
MichaelSar12IsBack then cluck you Apple Jack!!
MichaelSar12IsBack In Pinkie aNd Rarity’s case I think they’re too nice as well not that they’re too dumb none of the main six seem like they’re stupid
"ren seeks help is worse" "the splinter is worse" , just because episodes from OTHER SHOWS are way worse doesnt make this episode better
The episode could have saved itself in two ways:
-5 Mare-Do-Well's show up at the parade, because the fame went to their head as well, forcing them to see it from Rainbow Dash's point of view.
-Mare-Do-Well not showing up at all, forcing Rainbow Dash to figure out why for herself.
very good point. Why was MDW at the parade if she was made to be humble.
I really hate this episode because of the Mane Six being complete hypocrites and out-of-character. They were crushing Dash's spirit and ruining her good name just to "teach her a lesson". So, if they were teaching her a lesson, then WHY WERE THEY BRAGGING TO TEACH HER NOT TO BRAG?! If that isn't hypocrisy, I don't know what is. And Rainbow was getting to her breaking point and her so-called "friends" did absolutely nothing to help, in fact, they were breaking her soul down harder. If this wasn't a kids show, this episode would have pulled a Party of One and had poor Dashie going insane and attempting suicide because her soul is shattered, her good name is ruined, and nobody would care.
The friends didn't really brag as much as they did actually save ponies. While they were doing these things, they remained silent, remember? My main concern is the fact that in the time it takes to set up a party in someone's honor, they save enough lives to warrant Celestia labeling that town a catastrophe zone. I mean, seriously? If rainbow dash weren't there, at least 20 more ponies would've died.
1. yes, it is that bad.
2. it falls apart because Dash's friends, instead of TALKING to her, enact a plan to destroy her self-esteem.... to teach her not to be a spotlight hogging douchebag by.... becoming spotlight hogging douchebags themselves. And because Dash wasn't PISSED at her friends for humiliating and backstabbing her. Between this and Boast Busters, it's obvious the Mane Six have a bad case of Tall Poppy syndrome.
3. What was the writer thinking? Answer: she WASN'T.
“This episode starts at.... Bronycon?”
I’m sorry but that’s hilarious.
It's funny how one episode can make people hate a charcter forever
I do'n dislike Dashie, and I actually like this episode. Dash isn't my favorite, but I don't dislike her. She's somewhere in the middle in my top 6 of the 6.
*****
Yea, my favorites go something like, Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Dash, Pinkie and Fluttershy. I don't dislike any of them though, just like some better.
L. Wolf Good to know you like this episode too. You'll be surprise some Bronies hate Dashie and this episode.
***** Good to know you like this episode too. You'll be surprise some Bronies hate Dashie and this episode.
*****
Yea, Tabitha St Germain's Voice Work is a big reason I like Rarity. She is an amazing VA. Simple Ways may not of been a great episode, but dang Tabitha's voice work made up for it, as did Ashleigh Ball's with Applejack.
The civilians of Ponyville appear to be really, _really_ rude in a lot of early episodes, and even a few later ones.
Ugh. I couldn't stand this episode at all. It was a complete slap to the face for both Rainbow's character and the rest of the main six. Oh sure lets not try to confront and actually try to talk to Rainbow Dash about the problem and just teach her a lesson by completely humiliating her and making her feel like complete shit.... yeah that's a great idea! That'll show how much of a friend we are! :D
You said it bro! This is exactly how I think about this episode. Everypony just throw off their elements of harmony and stomp them to death by doing everything against them in one episode!
Rainbow Dash is not the kind of pony you can teach a lesson with words.
smashmaster521
Maybe not, but they could have at least tried and then pulled MDW off as a last resort when it became apparent that was the only way. Instead there is no indication they even tried to sit down and have a reasonable chat with RD about correcting her behavior.
Well, in Boast Busters every character had a bad write up by hating Trixie for no reason. Also Lesson Zero, Twilight was panicked and what did her friends do. Laugh. A lot of episodes break the "friendship is Magic" title, like may the best pet win or putting your hoof down and people seem to like those episodes.
I've now seen 6 TH-cam channels that analyze and review My Little Pony. Review this episode and not even touch the fact that the identity of mare do well In her first appearance, the hot air balloon rescue was left completely unidentified. The one in the suit clearly wasn't rainbow Because she was the one who needed to be taken down a peg according to the episode. And this is coming from somebody who is currently still rewatching the whole Siri's spoiler spoiler alert. Even by season five's finale, the only pony. Outside of the top 3 wonder bolts, captain spitfire commander Soarin and lieutenant Fleetfoot None of which was in this episode.
Even as a background design. The only one who can match rainbow - in the agility required to be hopping rooftops... It's fluttershy And and that just brings up an even bigger point of if it's fluttershy in the suit for the initial rescue, the wine, and the bloody heck. Does she need to be hopper rooftops? In order to actually get the height required to save some pony from a hot air balloon?!
I personally found Rainbow Dash's joke about the baby funny, but that's just because I like dark humor. It was VERY out of character for her.
I personally love this episode. Only because I'm obsessed with RD and this is an RD centered episode. I also love angst, which I was (as horrible as it sounds..) I liked when Rainbow Dash was upset and was talking about how she hates being alone. The only thing I wish could've happened was that the Mare Do Well reveal happened quicker and that RD was NOT happy about it, which is more believable. I mean, I would flip the F out if my friends did that to me. She should've had a different reaction to it, since the one she really had at the end is NOT realistic.
ok, so applejack as mare-do-well, stopped the runaway bus, pinkie did the construction site rescue, twilight rapaired the dam, fluttershy did the fly by, so who rescued the balloonist when mare-do-well first appeared?
maybe the "Real one"
@@twinkiesmaster69 Ya know that would actually be Really F$%^&(($ HILARIOUS if that happened like the Mane 6 are casually walking when up on some random Hill Rainbow Dash sees Mare Do Well does a quick head count & MDW Disapprears by Running off in the other direction!!!
Slight nitpick. It is stated that Pinkie Pie, Apple Jack, and Twilight were Mare Do Well. But pinkie and apple are earth ponies, and Twilight is not a alicorn yet.
If it was fluttershy, they should have said it, and even then having her fly faster the rainbow kinda shoots itself in the foot with episodes like Hurricane Fluttershy
2:05 Mr. Enter has a point here: That was a very sick joke, and that's not a very appropriate behaviour even for a hero.
I can understand people disliking this, but this is WAY over-hated.
This episode upset me. It makes no sense imo for the rest of the main 6 to do what they did. Really didn't like how this episode treated rainbow also
You're not alone, man. I found this episode to have a great lesson and it kept my attention.
"Why is this episode so hated?" Dash. I honestly hate this episode because of Dash. The is nothing in this episode that makes me like her. Also the background ponies are so bad in this, all they do is praise Dash and then Mare-Do-Well. (Also Scootaloo is very OOC)
I hate this episode. Hypocrisy is not funny.
How is it hypocritical?
It's mane not main freaking autocorrect
*****
What, the part in SCC where they brag about MDW? They're just demonstrating to Dash how annoying that constant praise and adulation can get. Or they were trying to keep themselves from being found out, but they really wanted Dash to realize how virtuous MDW is for being modest.
*****
Given how cocksure RD is, you think she would have listened? Her personality isn't one you reason with easily. She ascribes little weight to rational dialogue, and much more weight to action and experience. No, talking would have made little consequence, she'd have dismissed her friends concerns.
And how have they humiliated her?
*****
Watch DRWolf's review of MMDW. He brings up the same concern that the Mane 5 could have simply talked to RD, but then he also brings up the events of Fall Weather Friends, where it takes RD coming in last place and getting beat by Twi in a foot race for her to learn her lesson. RD is the friend who needs to have things proven to her in action to persuade her. But to be honest with you, this wouldn't be an issue if the episode at least mentioned this concern, like FS asking if they should at least talk to Dash, and then AJ saying she wouldn't listen.
You mean in the ending scene? I'm asking you for particular sequences.
RD's actions are contemptible. Her showboating was getting really obnoxious to the point where she was harassing other ponies for attention, her pandering to her fans actually endangered the life of that hot balloon pilot who would have crashed had MDW not saved her, since RD spent too long signing autographs, and she tossed that baby she saved in the air for her mother to catch in her mouth. I don't see how you can defend the way RD acted in this episode.
I agree with you....I don't hate this episode. Unlike other Rainbow-centric episodes where she allows her arrogance to get the best of her (like Rainbow Falls where she wants to win so badly that she LIES to her team and takes the coward's way out because Twilight makes her choose between them and the Wonderbolts so she fakes an injury rather than remaining loyal (her element of harmony ironically) and having faith in her team, this one actually does a better job of tempering Rainbow's arrogance and teaching her that she can be a humble hero. I like Rainbow Dash as a character (she's #4 of the Mane Six on my list after Fluttershy, Rarity and Twilight)....she's brave and driven to success and loyal almost to a fault (and that kind of reminds me of me) but I do agree with the rest of the Mane 6....in this episode she was a bit TOO cocky and full of herself and she let being a hero go straight to her head and needed a good dose of humble pie and rather than taking it to an extreme like they did with Fluttershy in Putting Your Hoof Down where Fluttershy went from being a doormat to a psychotic monster, the girls came up with Mare Do Well to teach Rainbow a lesson in a positive way and it worked.
WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH IF THEIR HER FRIENDS Y WOULD THEY HUMILIATE HER!? I MEAN WTF
I don't think this is a bad episode, it's just my personal worst of the show. . Seeing someone humiliated in order to teach humility is aggravating to me and it happens in many shows. Self esteem episodes are why I became a brony, The Last Round Up, being the first episode I saw and one of my favorites. Seeing Rainbow Dash getting shut down, whether justified or not, seems wrong to me. I don't recall actually rewatching the episode.
RD has never in the past "saved people only for recognition". ugggg you guys hate a character after one bad episode witch they were out of character!!!! and omg boast busters! did any body catch trixi challenge them that she could do anything that they could do better!!!! sure they were still hurls but that's not the point here.
Incidentally, this was the first episode of MLP that I ever watched and what got me into the show in the first place. While this episode is far from being the best in the series, I don't hate it, either.
Sure they could’ve talked to her bye would she have even bothered to listen?
Am I the only one who originally thought that the mare-do-well was a changeling because of the way the costume shows the eyes
I actually liked Rainbow Dash more after seeing this episode because she gets character development and I felt like I could relate to her at some parts.
The reason I hate this episode so much, actually isn't because of the Rainbow Dash "flanderization". It's because of how EASILY some of the errors could be corrected, as you pointed out a few times. Ya, Rainbow was a little flanderized, but look at Rarity or Pinkie in some episodes. I think what got this on people's hate lists is just how the mane five solve the problem, with there being no sign whatsoever of a confrontation. There's a comic series with an alternate ending that, if those redundant scenes were tooken out, could completely fix the episode and even teach two lessons. This comment is too long. The end. (I concluded this comment beautifully.)
I once had a conversation with some guy who was going on and on about how the Mane Six "were the literal devil" and how Rainbow was supposedly "completely and totally in the right." So, I brought up Trixie.
What did he say?
I'm not joking when I say that he now was painting Trixie in this unblemished, utterly perfect light, and *he started blaming Rainbow Dash for the ursa attack!* Like, WTF? That was Snips and Snails! The pony he was so vehemently defending just a moment ago, he started blaming for something she was in no way at fault for.
the problem with the episode for everyone who doesn't like it is the same reason why you don't like "putting your hoof down":
It kills the character.
When I first watched through the show, I hated Rainbow Dash because of this episode. It wasn't until Wonderbolt Academy that I excepted the writer as the problem.
I liked, "putting your hoof down". Mainly just for the catch phrases, but there was also the introduction of, "The Great Iron Will."
shitosusansen I'll admit it, I find Iron Will funnier than Discord!
Kumquatodor
I don't see a problem with putting your hoof down. I think it was well done. Fluttershy overcompensated her meek nature and unlike here her friends DID try to talk to her.
Revkor The problem is that no one gets blaimed for their action, and this whole thing is said to be Iron Will's fault. Fluttershy got no blame, really. She got off scott-free.
The town was uncharacteristically jerkish.
And are you telling me that Fluttershy, renowned for her compassion, would be able to ignore it so easily?
To me Fluttershy had a Nightmare Moon moment here and notice when she did realize what she did she locked herself up for days with only angel as a companion. if that's not punishment then what is.
4:04 then who was the one who save that pony is my biggest plot hole in my opinion I even questioned it as a kid
Okay I was watching this ep...and I just noticed something. When they held the thank-you parade, how did the mayor get Mare-Do-Well to show up? Beyond the other mane 5 behind Mare-Do-Well and clearly knowing about the parade. Was she so sure that whoever the hero was would know about it, or did she just pray to whatever god ponies pray to that she showed up?
+Sarah Mordio Big announcement a few days in advance?
Uh...I still see the other Five's Motivations being Petty Jealousy. Granted - I am one who understands that humility is important - as I have dealt with someone who needs a lesson in it. But does that mean that someone shouldn't take pride in the work or good deeds they've done? No. In my mind, being proud of your accomplishments and enjoying the fame they get you isn't wrong, as long as you don't use it to make someone else feel like they are inferior to you.
It's like you said - there were no clear transitions that time had passed between each of Rainbow Dash's heroic feats, so I simply assumed that they subsequently one after another over the span of just a few days. Which would of course explain why the Press would be fawning over her. You see the crowds of fans were still around her, because the events happened recently enough that the people still wanted a piece of her. So naturally - Rainbow Dash did boast her accomplishments to them, but that was to be expected. She HAS to play to the audience like that, to keep her popularity up.
Now her "friends" get annoyed by this...but frankly they shouldn't. It seems like they've gotten tired of her "being arrogant" despite the fact that the episode shows us that she JUST saved a group of people barely a few minutes ago. Did Rainbow Dash personally wrong the others? No - not really. Was her enjoying her 15 Minutes harming anyone? No. So - I see it just as them just being jealous and annoyed with her being in the spotlight and wanting to take her down a peg.
But instead of making a heart-felt confrontation with her, they...basically take away what she thought made her special. Or at least that's what they tried to do, and they succeeded in a way. I think what they were going for is that, anypony can be a hero in this universe and you shouldn't let it go to your head...BUT, lets think a little logically. By revealing that Mare-Do-Well was actually Pinkie, AJ, Twilight, and Fluttershy...that...basically means that all four of them are needed to do what Rainbow Dash can do by herself. If anything, that should've boosted her confidence.
But one cliche that I hate, is how quickly any group of people is to just forget how much they love someone and turn against them when a new fad arises. But, as much as I hate it...it could've worked for a better story. Let's say Rainbow Dash was more arrogant that was shown, that she was so surrounded by fans who adore her, that she started acting like a Celebrity. This of course, would cause her to most likely ditch her friends in favor of her fans. Then when the "Rainbow Dash" fad comes to an end, and Rainbow still wants the attention, she finds that all her fans no longer adore her, and she realizes that she shouldn't let fame change her, or make her forget who her true friends are.
But the idea of your peer group deciding to teach you a lesson just to make sure you don't feel good about what you've done for your community...it's rather insulting.
YOU ARE MY FAVORITE REVIWER, AND THIS IS WHY. (and all your other reviews, where you show the same BRILLIANCE! ;P) Also, you are HILARIOUS!
Nope, this is the only review of Mare-Do-Well I've ever done.
There is gonna be a episode in g5 about the mysteriousstalliondowell. Once it comes out i hope mr enter compares it to this episode
The pony that fell down the well Is named Timmy lol
6:00 I think when the other five were praising Mare-Do-Well the idea was they wanted to show Rainbow Dash how she made them feel when she was bragging about how great she was.
I noticed you've been putting awesome quotes in your intros. I think that's awesome.
I like Rainbow bragging. Her friends were kinda douchey in this one.
So you actually like this episode, good to know I'm not the only one.
6:12
Doesn't this completely go against 'Lesson Zero'?! And no one can use the 'It aired after' excuse, because-
A- Episodes are written and planned out before the others are released, i.e- while the season premier would be airing, they'd be working on, if not finished, with the finale.
B- It didn't, since lesson zero was the third episode, while MMDW was the eighth.
and to think they were stupid enough to do this plot again in 28 pranks later
I honestly don't hate this episode either, like everyone else does. I know it has some characterization flaws and the storyline is kind of weak and...cliche, but I don't think that's a reason to despise the episode. I would have hated it if RD had let Mare Do Well's success get to her and just gave up trying to help anyone at all (like then newer Season 4 episode with Daring Do). But I totally agree with the problem of the not showing how long Rainbow's boasting attitude has been going on. That would have made a lot of difference.
i liked "The Mysterious Mare-Do-well".
Let the Hate Begin
2:23I can imagine how much beat up that older pony gets as kid, when his parents see that his cutie mark is a pipe ^^
+akane saotome He is an OG gangster my nigga
At the time of it's release, this episode was my favorite (mostly because I'm a huge comic book superhero fan) and I still find myself going back to it. Admittedly not as often as others, but that's mostly just because it didn't have a song and my personal quest is to memorize each major song to the point that I can just start singing any of them at the drop of a hat.
Mine is to able to recognize every background pony on sight.
actually the beginning is very relevant because it's feeding RD's ego...which is exemplified throughout the entire episode
This episode pissed me off to no end. There's a right way and a wrong way to do hypocrisy. This made me want to watch the rest of the mane 5 die in a swamp
I think when everyone was bragging about Mare-do-Well's feats of heroism, I believe they were doing it explicitly in Rainbow Dash's presence because they KNEW it would get her mad, sort of giving her a taste of her own medicine.
My theory is that they were doing it to not make Rainbow suspicious, because of the whole town was singing Mare Do Well's praise and her friends didn't even mention it, even Rainbow would be smart enough to know something was up
THAT JUST MAKES THEM BIGGER HYPOCRITES.
@@darknessrising2453 And it makes everyone nothing but ungrateful, selfish backstabbers.
I think the reason it's so hated is because it's just unpleasant an tedious to watch. The other issues are something that most agree on but when you can't enjoy even watching it before you reach the end or start to consider morals and characters and all that makes it universally disliked and hated by so many.
Once Upon a Time, there was an episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic called "The Mysterious Mare-Do Well" that aired during the show's second season. After it's premiere, for almost 6-7 years, it has been hated on and was called or still called to some, one of, if not the worst episode of the show in the 169 episodes the show has made through it's 7 year lifespan and very few liked it. So, where do I stand on this episode? Well, I will agree with many that this episode isn't good and sucks, with most my reasoning being the same as MrEnter's in this review. But strangely enough....I kinda like the episode. I guess it's so far my 2nd guilty pleasure in the show, with the other being "Feeling Pinkie Keen", mostly because of the superhero-like plot with Mare-Do-Well becoming like the town hero. I'm a sucker for this type of stuff and have loved it for my entire life if you couldn't tell from my YT name or profile pic. I'm sucker for that type of stuff, plus the reference to Batman: The Animated Series and some small moments I really enjoyed. I will agree that this episode isn't good, but it isn't the worst the show has done. Both from the show and other media, I have seen MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, worse. So, what do I give this episode? I'm gonna fail this episode, but I'll give it a Silver just for the stuff that I like.
1 Out of 5 Stars
Silver
So Far: 30/130
I hate this episode with a passion. Easily one of the top 5 worst episodes in the ENTIRE SERIES.
wow, you actually don't think this episode is as bad as almost everyone else says.
I think I agree with your opinions, but I find this episode a guilty pleasure for a different reason.
This was the very first episode I ever fully watched of this show and (surprisingly enough) is the one that got me more interested in the series. I look back on it and realize that its pretty bad but I still enjoy it in more of a sense of nostalgia than an actual good episode.
Of course Rainbow gets the moral at the end! Are you kidding?
That wasn't sarcastic.
Thanks.
Wow first person to review it and not hate it. I have to say I agree with most of what you say here. The episode was really really flawed, but it still managed to be entertaining, so it can't of been the worst thing ever, and as you mentioned the flaws it did have had been done before. All I can say is it's really refreshing to see a not entirely negative review on this. Good job dude, you've gained my respect.
I think they didn't have enough time for the premise. Their plan could've still happened along with everything, but they could've then used that to show a moral about communication on top of the original moral. Take The Manehattenverse route. Outcast Rainbow Dash like they did with Trixie and make them realize that everything would've been solved by communication or by other methods. Then let them fix it. I'm using Manehattenverse because it got it right.
You know what you are - a flip flop - you pan some episodes for silly or miss-interpretive reasons and yet with some like this one, Feeling Pinkie keen and Over a barrel, you review it in such a logical and fair way that you seem like the saint of all MLP reviewers, and that's why you're awesome!
Felt like a Rainbow Dash torture episode. I hated it so badly!
Mare Do Well is my second least favourite episode of this series (behind Feeling Pinkie Keen), but I actually disagree about the construction scene being redundant. When Pinkie reveals herself as an actor for Mare Do Well she explains that she helped the construction ponies with her pinkie sense, so this scene is there to demonstrate Pinkie's involvement with mare do well, as the cliff scene was for applejack and the dam scene was for Twilight.
"The Mysterious Mare Do Well"..."The Mysterious Mr Enter"...Coicidence!?
The twist in this episode makes a Shyamalan movie look unpredictable.
7:09
in the words of solar sands,"POINTING OUT YOUR PROBLEMS DOES'NT FIX THEM"
I've always loved this episode. A shot at Rainbow's ego is exactly what she deserved to handle that petty jealousy toward her friends.
I don't hate the episode but it so bad it good and boring .
This episode was completely mean-spirited and hypocritical, they never once tried talking to her and came off as assholes.
Ripped NtrippsMoe what do you mean, boring and " so bad it's good"?
boring is something that cannot be enjoyed nor despised because nothing of substance is occurring (like watching paint dry)
so bad it's good implies that the thing you're watching is fun to watch because of how ridiculous it is (think "the room" , "batman '66", and "power rangers")
they clearly have opposite meanings, I'm neither in agreement nor disagreement, I just want clarification
Nice to know you condone hypocracy. Shows what little you know.
I actually... liked this episode. (Please don't hate me!)
Back when I watched this show, I did kind of take issue that most of the episodes that centered on my favourite character at the time (Dash) made her unlikable.
I guess the point was that characters don't learn a lesson unless they were doing something wrong to begin with but, it did irk me a bit. It was like the show was trying to make me dislike her.
FiM is about friendship yet Rainbow's closest friends don't even try and confront her about her bragging and instead decided to show her up and make her look like an asshole as Mare-Do-Well. That's why I hate the episode, it goes against the purpose of the entire show, being a good friend and actually talking to your buddy about an issue you may have with him/her.
I'm not sure what your issue is with the transitions in this show. Yeah, there's not a lot to them, but kids are smart enough to realize that "every other day since" means that some vague week-or-two-ish time has passed. The fact that there's detail included at all, and that there's enough to loosely interpret rather than a set-in-stone span is actually a pretty nice thing, to me.
This was one of the very first episodes of MLP I watched. This episode made me hate Rainbow Dash. I didn't have any respect for Rainbow Dash until The Wonderbolt Academy came out.
I was wondering if Mare Do Well was replaced by Daring Do.
I'm honestly tempted to agree with Mr. Enter here. MMDW isn't a good episode at all, but it's not the worst ever. But then this show is - and was especially at the time - susceptible to the bandwagon effect: When the taste-makers (in this case /mlp/ and the brony critics) panned it, everyone else just went along, never thinking for themselves.
Maybe my lack of vitriol for this episode is simply because Rainbow Dash has never been a top-tier pony in my book. Sure, I get why people like her, and I don't _hate_ her, but her personality is the polar opposite of mine, so I usually find her irritating as shit. As a result, her episodes rarely hit with me. For what it's worth, RD herself wasn't a problem in MMDW; everypony else was the problem.
All in all, I feel sorry for Merriweather. She's not a bad writer; in fact, on pretty much every other show she's ever done, she's a great writer. But, she turned out to be a poor fit for MLP. And that's just a shame. Even though she has probably the worst shit-to-hit ratio of any writer on this show, she really doesn't deserve the vitriol fans like to throw at her. After all, everyone except me liked "Hearth's-Warming Eve", and I don't know anyone who didn't like "Wonderbolt Academy". I also liked "Bats!".
Some episodes I like _less_ than MMDW: "Owl's Well that Ends Well", "Baby Cakes", "Putting Your Hoof Down", "It's About Time", "Spike At Your Service", "Games Ponies Play", "Trade Ya", and "Rainbow Falls" (which I consider the worst episode of the entire series).
***** Exactly. She also, it seems, won an Emmy for her work on Camp Lazlo.
I actually liked this episode
I will review every episode of the show - Mr. Enter Me: Leap of faith? guess it's hard to keep promises...
To be fair, he at least tried. It's a hard episode to review because so much of it is retread.
I didn't mind this episode. Dashie was a bit of a knob in this one. But the stuff with Mare-do-well I kind of enjoyed.
Funny theme
Twilight has an issue with ppl having pride
Happens first with trixie then with rapid dash
finally, someone who sees this episode is not as bad as hype would paint it to be
Is it really surprising that the fastest flyer in Ponyville should be a figure of controversy?
This is probably my biggest guilty pleasure. Yes, the story is bad. Yes, the lesson is contradictory to the episode. Maybe it's because of lowered expectations, but I wasn't overly offended by it. I was still entertained by some of the action scenes (even if they were unnecessary), and there were some pretty funny moments. All in all, despite its shortcomings, I enjoyed it.
Now Boast Busters on the other hand...